cognisant' - he bowed his head 'as my schoolmaster would say, with the 'b's, oh, all the 'b's; the if's I didn't have much practice at because me lugs were nearly knocked off by me da."
Now he had Mr. Gallagher laughing.
The da nearly knocked bloody hell out of me. He belted me and boxed me ears, until sometimes I had to hold me head on with both hands, and all to stop me cussing. And all the while he would use the book on me extending my
knowledge, far beyond that for which he was knocking me down. Then one day I went to his house," he indicated Willie, 'and trampled all the daffodils down in his mother's garden, while I yelled at him as many four-letter words as I knew. But imagine how his lady-mother reacted when she heard her son give me back as much as I sent. That was a day never to be forgotten. Then his dad came on the scene, lifted me by the collar and shook me like a rat, then took me into their house and gave me tea. And that was the beginning. There was a lot after that.
Oh, a great deal. If I can come back sometime, Mr. Gallagher, I'll tell you all about it. And, Katie, there, she'll tell you of the rows we had. Oh my!
She hated my guts. To her I was a common, little, snotty-nosed snipe. I think I still am. " He turned and smiled at Katie, but she didn't smile back at him. Her face was straight but was sending out a warning. And as he
pushed his chair back, saying, " Well, we'd better be making our way. " Len Gallagher bent towards Katie, asking her quietly, " You all right, lass?
You've been quiet of late;
you were all mouth when you came in. "
Katie stood up and she gulped in her throat for a moment before she said,
"Yes. Yes, I'm all right, thank you, Mr. Gallagher. And ... and I've enjoyed meeting you and your family. If I may, I ... I'll come again."
Glancing at his sister, Willie thought, good gracious! She's not going to, is she? And then he
joined Sammy's voice in saying his thanks and goodbyes to Mrs. Gallagher, not forgetting to mention the tea she had provided.
Len Gallagher had risen to his feet and Katie saw that she had to look up at him. She hadn't realised he was so tall. But he was gaunt, all of him was gaunt, and his shoulders were stooped. And again she thought. Surely this couldn't be the man who had so often frightened his family to the extent that they had to flee into a neighbour's house. And a further thought struck her.
Yes, he was the same man, for only a short time ago he had been for
murdering his daughter who had come home pregnant, and for the second time.
Nobody had mentioned her. She wondered where she had gone. This knowledge had been imparted by Daisy on their first meeting outside the Centre. The child must have been born by now. But where was it and the girl? There was so much tragedy in this house, what you would call simple everyday tragedy.
Of those at home, only Daisy and one of the younger men were in work. She felt she couldn't stand any more, she would have to get out. But she
remained looking up at the man, until she held her hand out to him; and he not only shook it, but he covered it with his other big honey palm. Then she was nodding goodbye to the rest of the family. But at the door, where Mrs.
Gallagher was standing, she muttered, "It's ... it's been most kind of you."
"Not at all, lass, not at all." Then bending forward, the little woman said,
"Well, it's still amazing to me, it brings a bright spot into me life to know that Daisy has such friends as you and the two ... young gentlemen.
Jimmy had told us about you and your grand place, but I never believed we'd meet you. It's been a pleasure, lass, it's been a pleasure."
"And for us, Mrs. Gallagher." Katie's voice was very small.
The young man Sep was at the door now, saying, "Will I come with you, our Daisy?"
"No, Sep; I'm only setting them to the bus. And if I keep well under the lamps nobody will ever pick me up, will they?" At this derisive remark about herself, Willie was for
Now he had Mr. Gallagher laughing.
The da nearly knocked bloody hell out of me. He belted me and boxed me ears, until sometimes I had to hold me head on with both hands, and all to stop me cussing. And all the while he would use the book on me extending my
knowledge, far beyond that for which he was knocking me down. Then one day I went to his house," he indicated Willie, 'and trampled all the daffodils down in his mother's garden, while I yelled at him as many four-letter words as I knew. But imagine how his lady-mother reacted when she heard her son give me back as much as I sent. That was a day never to be forgotten. Then his dad came on the scene, lifted me by the collar and shook me like a rat, then took me into their house and gave me tea. And that was the beginning. There was a lot after that.
Oh, a great deal. If I can come back sometime, Mr. Gallagher, I'll tell you all about it. And, Katie, there, she'll tell you of the rows we had. Oh my!
She hated my guts. To her I was a common, little, snotty-nosed snipe. I think I still am. " He turned and smiled at Katie, but she didn't smile back at him. Her face was straight but was sending out a warning. And as he
pushed his chair back, saying, " Well, we'd better be making our way. " Len Gallagher bent towards Katie, asking her quietly, " You all right, lass?
You've been quiet of late;
you were all mouth when you came in. "
Katie stood up and she gulped in her throat for a moment before she said,
"Yes. Yes, I'm all right, thank you, Mr. Gallagher. And ... and I've enjoyed meeting you and your family. If I may, I ... I'll come again."
Glancing at his sister, Willie thought, good gracious! She's not going to, is she? And then he
joined Sammy's voice in saying his thanks and goodbyes to Mrs. Gallagher, not forgetting to mention the tea she had provided.
Len Gallagher had risen to his feet and Katie saw that she had to look up at him. She hadn't realised he was so tall. But he was gaunt, all of him was gaunt, and his shoulders were stooped. And again she thought. Surely this couldn't be the man who had so often frightened his family to the extent that they had to flee into a neighbour's house. And a further thought struck her.
Yes, he was the same man, for only a short time ago he had been for
murdering his daughter who had come home pregnant, and for the second time.
Nobody had mentioned her. She wondered where she had gone. This knowledge had been imparted by Daisy on their first meeting outside the Centre. The child must have been born by now. But where was it and the girl? There was so much tragedy in this house, what you would call simple everyday tragedy.
Of those at home, only Daisy and one of the younger men were in work. She felt she couldn't stand any more, she would have to get out. But she
remained looking up at the man, until she held her hand out to him; and he not only shook it, but he covered it with his other big honey palm. Then she was nodding goodbye to the rest of the family. But at the door, where Mrs.
Gallagher was standing, she muttered, "It's ... it's been most kind of you."
"Not at all, lass, not at all." Then bending forward, the little woman said,
"Well, it's still amazing to me, it brings a bright spot into me life to know that Daisy has such friends as you and the two ... young gentlemen.
Jimmy had told us about you and your grand place, but I never believed we'd meet you. It's been a pleasure, lass, it's been a pleasure."
"And for us, Mrs. Gallagher." Katie's voice was very small.
The young man Sep was at the door now, saying, "Will I come with you, our Daisy?"
"No, Sep; I'm only setting them to the bus. And if I keep well under the lamps nobody will ever pick me up, will they?" At this derisive remark about herself, Willie was for
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